Auckland Libraries blog

In celebration of Pasifika 2020, we’ve put together a list of our film favourites for you to watch throughout the month! It features life stories of some of our greatest sportspeople, courageous tales of Pasifika heroes and a powerful yet timely documentary on the urgency of climate change. Haven't got an account yet?  Click here to sign up using your library membership and start streaming ! With our step-by-step instructions and the great app, it's easy to watch at home or on the go. Anger within: Jonah Lomu Set in New Zealand. 2013 || Rated M Documentary. New Zealand born Tongan Jonah Lomu, was without a doubt, the most famous rugby player of all time. His outstanding physique, his power, his speed, and determination helped revolutionise the game around the world. The Orator Set in Samoa 2011 || Rated PG The Orator (O Le Tulafale) is a contemporary drama about courage, forgiveness and love. Small in stature and humble, Saili lives a simple life with his...

Auckland Libraries customers know when they're getting a great deal - that's why thousands of Aucklanders visit and use our library services every year!  Check out five ways Aucklanders are using their library membership to save themselves hundreds of dollars. 1. Try before buy Libraries are the perfect opportunity to try before you buy!  Save hundreds of dollars by borrowing books rather than buying them (and conserve shelf space at home) Play the latest console games for a small rental charge before committing Check out eAudiobooks for free in the easy-to-use Libby by Overdrive app instead of spending your monthly Audible credits.  Love browsing the latest magazines? Check them out for free on the RBdigital app - and keep them! Our libraries also invest in some of the latest technology so you can give it a go and see whether it's right for you. We offer in-library access to VR technology, Playstation 4 consoles, 3D printers, rob...

Alison and Morgan discuss the classic 'coming-of-age' narrative in queer literature and discover that an author’s lived experience has a great influence on the quality of the story. Listen to this weeks episode on the Auckland Libraries podcast. Books mentioned in the show: Lie with me by Philippe Besson Queer by William S Burroughs Birthday by Meredith Russo They both die at the end by Adam Silvera Infinity son by Adam Silvera Fun home by Alison Bechdel Auckland Libraries' radio show Books and Beyond explores the world of books with guest authors, recommended reads, gems from the Central City Library basement and… beyond. Catch us on  Planet FM104.6 , Sundays at 9.35pm. Recent shows can be listened to as podcasts via the  Auckland Libraries podcast .

Alison and Karen pay homage to some true literary power couples from the romantic era’s Percy and Mary to the modern day’s Nicole and Jonathan. We include the beat generation’s Jane and Paul, the lost generation’s Zelda and Scott and the timeless Gertrude and Alice. These pairs would make great cat names for those who are double-kittied. Listen to this week's episode on the Auckland Libraries podcast. Books mentioned in the show: Forest dark by Nicole Krauss Here I am by Jonathan Safran Foer Save me the waltz by Zelda Fitzgerald The collected writings by Zelda Fitzgerald Tender is the night by F Scott Fitzgerald Two serious ladies by Jane Bowles The sheltering sky by Paul Bowles Frankenstein by Mary Shelley  Selected poems and prose by Percy Bysshe Shelley The autobiography of Alice B Toklas by Gertrude Stein What is remembered by Alice B Toklas Paris was yesterday, 1925-30 by Janet Flanner Auckland Libraries' radio show Books and Beyond ...

There are great new updates to the Libby app now live! Libby by Overdrive is the best way to read and listen to Overdrive eBooks and eAudiobooks on your smartphone or device. To enjoy notifications and other app improvements, be sure to install the latest update for Libby from your device’s app store. Hold redelivery live 2 March 2020 Too many holds arriving at once? Hold redelivery will allow you to suspend a hold once it becomes available while maintaining your place on the wait list. Libby notifications will alert you when your holds become available. After receiving a notification that a hold is available, you can chose to do one of the following: Borrow the book within three days.  Choose to suspend the hold - this will pass the book to the next person in line. After the suspension period finishes, you will be able to borrow the book when the next copy is available. Choose to cancel the hold. If you take no action, your hold will automatically be suspended o...

Love it or loathe it, it's Valentine's Day again! Whether you’re whipping up a romantic dinner or having a quiet night in with your Beamafilm subscription , we have put together our top seven reads for whatever the occasion. This year we are celebrating all types of love – from self-love to diehard romance, there’s something for everyone! Princesses behaving badly: real stories from history without the fairy-tale endings by Linda Rodriguez McRobbie You think you know her story. You've read the Brothers Grimm, you've watched the Disney cartoons, you cheered as these virtuous women lived happily ever after. But the lives of real princesses couldn't be more different. Sure, many were graceful and benevolent leaders - but just as many were ruthless in their quest for power, and all of them had skeletons rattling in their royal closets. Eat your heart out: love stories from around the world by Peta Mathias Peta Mathias has encountered many a ...

This week on Books & Beyond, Alison drinks water and meditates on this precious, almost mystical commodity H20. Listen to this week's episode on the Auckland Libraries podcast. Books mentioned in the show: The girl in the water by AJ Grayson Into the water by Paula Hawkins The mistake I made by Paula Daly Big little lies by Liane Moriaty The water dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates Beneath pale water by Thalia Henry Death by water by Kenzaburo Oe Water for elephants by Sara Gruen This is water: some thoughts, delivered on a significant occasion by David Foster Wallace All visitors ashore by CK Stead Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys Auckland Libraries' radio show Books and Beyond explores the world of books with guest authors, recommended reads, gems from the Central City Library basement and… beyond. Catch us on Planet FM104.6 , Sundays at 9.35pm. Recent shows can be listened to as podcasts via the Auckland Libraries podcast .

We chatted to a few members of the Rainbow Working Group at Tāmaki Pātaka Kōrero Central City Library to find out how their mahi is making a difference for Auckland’s diverse communities.  We are lucky enough to have a uniquely positioned library in Tāmaki Makaurau, which sits at the heart of our bustling CBD. The Central City Library caters to customers from all walks of life, and the staff that work there are committed to ensuring the library is a place that supports and embraces all customers – especially the local rainbow communities.  The Rainbow Working Group at Central City Library has been collaborating closely with the community to find out what we can do to make library experiences fun, safe and engaging but, most importantly, to give a genuine sense of belonging here at Auckland Libraries.  We spoke to members Rhion and Rhi about their innovative projects and their experiences being a part of Auckland’s diverse rainbow community.   Rhi Lennox: ...

This week on Books & Beyond, we pay tribute to the city of Auckland by choosing books of historical recollections, novelistic descriptions and poetic odes. Books mentioned in the show: Dove on the waters by Maurice Shadbolt The new animals by Pip Adam High hope in hard times: a history of Grey Lynn and Westmere by Kaaren Hiyama Te Atatu me: photographs of an urban New Zealand village by John B. Turner A fine prospect: a history of Remuera, Meadowbank and St Johns by Jenny Carlyon and Diana Morrow Urban village: the story of Ponsonby, Freemans Bay and St Mary’s Bay by Jenny Carlyon and Diana Morrow Auckland by the sea: 100 years of work and play by David Johnson Flowers after the sun: poems by John Pule Love as a stranger by Owen Marshall Sonnets to Van Gogh & providence by John Pule One hundred poems and a year by Bob Orr This mortal boy by Fiona Kidman Auckland Libraries' radio show Books and Beyond explores the world of books wit...